MC1056269 – (Updated) Microsoft Teams: town hall organizers, co-organizers, presenters can join the event to preview as attendee

Product:

Teams

Platform:

Android, iOS, Mac, mobile, Online, Web, Windows Desktop, World tenant

Status:

Launched

Change type:

New feature, Updated message, User impact

Links:

484126

Details:

Summary:
Microsoft Teams town hall organizers, co-organizers, and presenters can soon preview events as attendees from different platforms. This feature rolls out from late May to October 2025, requires no admin action, and disables select features in attendee view without affecting the overall event experience.

Details:
Updated September 10, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
Organizers, co-organizers, and presenters in a Microsoft Teams town hall will soon be able to join and view the event from an attendee's perspective.
This feature will be available for customers who have access to town hall in Teams for Windows or Mac desktop, Teams for the web, or Teams for iOS/Android.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 484126.
[When this will happen:]
Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out late May 2025 (previously mid-May) and expect to complete by late June 2025 (previously late May).
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late June 2025 (previously mid-June) and expect to complete by late October 2025 (previously late July).

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability, Targeted Release

Created:
2025-04-16

updated:
2025-09-11

Task Type

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Docu to Check

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MS How does it affect me

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MS Preperations

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MS Urgency

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linked item details

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Pictures

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Feature Disabling for Organizers
Certain features (like Q&A) will be disabled for organizers, co-organizers, and presenters when they preview as attendees, potentially limiting their ability to engage with the audience during the event.
   - roles: Organizer, Co-Organizer
   - references: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=484126

User Experience Disruption
If users are not informed about the changes, they may be confused by the new preview feature and its limitations, leading to a negative experience during the event.
   - roles: Presenter, Attendee
   - references: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=484126

Configutation Options**

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explanation for non-techies**

Microsoft Teams is introducing a new feature that allows organizers, co-organizers, and presenters of town hall events to preview the event from an attendee's perspective. This means that they can see exactly what the attendees see during the event, which can be very helpful for ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Think of it like planning a big party. As the host, you want to make sure that everything is perfect for your guests. You might walk through the venue as if you were a guest to see how things look from their perspective. This helps you spot any issues, like a table that’s blocking the view or a speaker that’s too loud. Similarly, this new feature in Teams lets event organizers do a virtual walk-through of their event.

This capability will be available on various platforms, including Windows, Mac, web, iOS, and Android. Organizers can join the event in their usual role and then open it again on another device or platform to see the attendee view. Certain features, like Q&A, will be disabled in this preview mode to avoid confusion, but this won't affect the actual event or the attendees' experience.

The rollout of this feature will happen automatically, so no additional setup is needed from IT administrators. However, it might be a good idea to inform your team about this new capability and update any training materials or documentation to reflect this change. This way, everyone involved in organizing town hall events can take full advantage of this new feature to enhance the event experience.